diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'www/license.html')
| -rw-r--r-- | www/license.html | 382 |
1 files changed, 382 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/www/license.html b/www/license.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..c178a96d --- /dev/null +++ b/www/license.html @@ -0,0 +1,382 @@ +<!--#include file="header.html" --> + +<h2>Toybox is licensed under the terms of GPLv2.</h2> + +<p>The complete text of the General Public License version 2 is included in the +file LICENSE in each source tarball. Version 2 is the only version of +this license which toybox is distributed under. (I.E. It doesn't have the +strange "or later" dual license some projects have.)</p> + +<h2>Clarifications</h2> + +<p>The GPL is a bit old and crufty in places, but it's still the best open +source license there is, and lots of source code (like the Linux kernel) is +distributed under it. Lots of de facto interpretations have sprung up to deal +with things like the fact that it predates the internet service provider +industry. Nothing in the rest of this page changes the actual license, so you +can ignore the rest of this page if you're happy with a strict reading of +GPLv2. But just to be clear, here's how the authors of this project are +interpreting the sucker where it says something stupid.</p> + +<p>Section 1: <b>You have permission to rephrase the license notice on +individual source files.</b> This doesn't mean you can change what license the +code is under, or that you can remove other people's copyright notices. You +certainly can't change the test of the GPL itself. What it means is that if +you use this code in a project that distributes source in zip files instead of +tarballs, or your package's copy of the GPLv2 text isn't in a file called +"LICENSE", it's silly to preserve an obsolete notice verbatim and add some +kind of "correction" after the old notice.</p> + +<p>Some lawyers seem to think a strict reading of GPLv2 section 1 (and later +sections including section 1 by reference) requires maintaining old notices in +perpetuity. Even if you had code that used to be dual licensed, but created +a derived work that's just under one of the two licenses, so the old license +notice is not just strange or misleading but actually incorrect for the new +file. (For example, splicing GPLv2 only code into a dual "GPLv2 or later" +project produces a result that can be distributed under the terms of GPLv2, +but not GPLv3. The result cannot be distributed under the "or later" part, +so a license notice saying it could is factually wrong.)</p> + +<p>I don't know if we're ever going to put any dual licensed code into the tree, +but I want to head that one off now. The actual license text is the important +thing, the per-file notice is a courtesy.</p> + +<p>Section 2: <b>We don't put the change history in comments in the source +code, we put it in our source control system.</b> We have source control for a +reason. That's where this information belongs, and that's where we put it. +It's world readable on the web, and you can download a snapshot of the whole +repository if you like. The GPL predates modern source control systems, but +this project does not.</p> + +<p>Section 3: <b>We distribute source code through the internet.</b> If +your "written offer" includes a URL, and the source code remains anonymously +downloadable at that location for three years after you stop distributing +binaries, life is good as far as we're concerned. (No, you can't encrypt it, +or require a login, or otherwise be slimy bastards acting in bad faith. We'll +come after you if you're not satisfying the terms of the license, this is just +talking about how you can satisfy those terms without having to mail physical +media. Most people are already doing it this way.)</p> + +<p>Also, <a href="http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/06/23/1728205&tid=150">what the FSF did to Mepis</a> was inexcusable. (Further discussed +in <a href="http://www.busybox.net/lists/busybox/2006-June/022797.html">this +thread</a>.) Mepis partnered with Ubuntu, put out a press release quoting +Ubuntu's founder about how cool the partnership was, and then pointed to +Ubuntu's source repository for packages it was using unmodified Ubuntu versions +of. As far as we're concerned, Mepis didn't do anything wrong, and the FSF +was a bully. The FSF was wrong when it tried to make an example out of a +company that was acting in good faith.</p> + +<p>To make sure the FSF doesn't pick on anyone else against our wishes, we're +clarifying that if you didn't modify the source code, and the binaries you're +distributing can be entirely regenerated from a public upstream source, +pointing to that upstream source in good faith is good enough for us, as long +as they don't mind the extra bandwidth and the correct source code stays +available at that location for the duration of your responsiblity to +redistribute source.</p> + +<p>This doesn't mean it's fair for a Fortune 500 company to point millions of +people at somebody's home DSL line (certainly not without asking first). +And if the source that's available there isn't the complete source you used +to produce your binaries, you haven't fulfilled your obligations either. +And if the code stops being available at that location, you're not off the +hook and have to find a new location or put up your own mirror. And obviously +it has to be the _right_ source code (if you modified it, we want the patch, +and claiming you didn't modify it when you actually did is fraud).</p> + +<p>This is not a "get out of jail free" card: It's still your responsibility to +make the source available. We're just saying you can reasonably delegate to +something like Sourceforge or ibilbio and as long as everyone who wants the +source can get it, we're happy. If the site you point to objects or goes down, +responsibility obviously reverts to you.</p> + +<p>But if this project needs mirrors, we'll _ask_. (Most likely we'll ask +someone like sourceforge, OSL, ISC, ibiblio, archive.org...)</p> + +<p>Section 9: <b>Does not apply to this project.</b> We're specifying the +version, it's version 2. There is no "or later versions" clause to require +interpreting. + +<hr> +<pre> + GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE + Version 2, June 1991 + + Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc. + 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA + Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies + of this license document, but changing it is not allowed. + + Preamble + + The licenses for most software are designed to take away your +freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public +License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free +software--to make sure the software is free for all its users. This +General Public License applies to most of the Free Software +Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to +using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by +the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it to +your programs, too. + + When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not +price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you +have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for +this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it +if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it +in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things. + + To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid +anyone to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights. +These restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you +distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it. + + For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether +gratis or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that +you have. You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the +source code. And you must show them these terms so they know their +rights. + + We protect your rights with two steps: (1) copyright the software, and +(2) offer you this license which gives you legal permission to copy, +distribute and/or modify the software. + + Also, for each author's protection and ours, we want to make certain +that everyone understands that there is no warranty for this free +software. If the software is modified by someone else and passed on, we +want its recipients to know that what they have is not the original, so +that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on the original +authors' reputations. + + Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software +patents. We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free +program will individually obtain patent licenses, in effect making the +program proprietary. To prevent this, we have made it clear that any +patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all. + + The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and +modification follow. + + GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE + TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION + + 0. This License applies to any program or other work which contains +a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed +under the terms of this General Public License. The "Program", below, +refers to any such program or work, and a "work based on the Program" +means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law: +that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it, +either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another +language. (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in +the term "modification".) Each licensee is addressed as "you". + +Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not +covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of +running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program +is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the +Program (independent of having been made by running the Program). +Whether that is true depends on what the Program does. + + 1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's +source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you +conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate +copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the +notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty; +and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License +along with the Program. + +You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and +you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee. + + 2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion +of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and +distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 +above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions: + + a) You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices + stating that you changed the files and the date of any change. + + b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in + whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any + part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third + parties under the terms of this License. + + c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively + when run, you must cause it, when started running for such + interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an + announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a + notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide + a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under + these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this + License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but + does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on + the Program is not required to print an announcement.) + +These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole. If +identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Program, +and can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in +themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those +sections when you distribute them as separate works. But when you +distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based +on the Program, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of +this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to the +entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it. + +Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest +your rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to +exercise the right to control the distribution of derivative or +collective works based on the Program. + +In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program +with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of +a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under +the scope of this License. + + 3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, +under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of +Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following: + + a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable + source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections + 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or, + + b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three + years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your + cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete + machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be + distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium + customarily used for software interchange; or, + + c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer + to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is + allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you + received the program in object code or executable form with such + an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.) + +The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for +making modifications to it. For an executable work, complete source +code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any +associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to +control compilation and installation of the executable. However, as a +special exception, the source code distributed need not include +anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary +form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the +operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component +itself accompanies the executable. + +If distribution of executable or object code is made by offering +access to copy from a designated place, then offering equivalent +access to copy the source code from the same place counts as +distribution of the source code, even though third parties are not +compelled to copy the source along with the object code. + + 4. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program +except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt +otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is +void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License. +However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under +this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such +parties remain in full compliance. + + 5. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not +signed it. However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or +distribute the Program or its derivative works. These actions are +prohibited by law if you do not accept this License. Therefore, by +modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the +Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and +all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying +the Program or works based on it. + + 6. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the +Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the +original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to +these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further +restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. +You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to +this License. + + 7. If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent +infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues), +conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or +otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not +excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot +distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this +License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you +may not distribute the Program at all. For example, if a patent +license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by +all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then +the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to +refrain entirely from distribution of the Program. + +If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under +any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to +apply and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other +circumstances. + +It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any +patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any +such claims; this section has the sole purpose of protecting the +integrity of the free software distribution system, which is +implemented by public license practices. Many people have made +generous contributions to the wide range of software distributed +through that system in reliance on consistent application of that +system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing +to distribute software through any other system and a licensee cannot +impose that choice. + +This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to +be a consequence of the rest of this License. + + 8. If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in +certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the +original copyright holder who places the Program under this License +may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding +those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among +countries not thus excluded. In such case, this License incorporates +the limitation as if written in the body of this License. + + 9. The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions +of the General Public License from time to time. Such new versions will +be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to +address new problems or concerns. + +Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Program +specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any +later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions +either of that version or of any later version published by the Free +Software Foundation. If the Program does not specify a version number of +this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software +Foundation. + + 10. If you wish to incorporate parts of the Program into other free +programs whose distribution conditions are different, write to the author +to ask for permission. For software which is copyrighted by the Free +Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes +make exceptions for this. Our decision will be guided by the two goals +of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and +of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally. + + NO WARRANTY + + 11. BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY +FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN +OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES +PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED +OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF +MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS +TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE +PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, +REPAIR OR CORRECTION. + + 12. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING +WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR +REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, +INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING +OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED +TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY +YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER +PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + + END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS +</pre> +<!--#include file="footer.html" --> |